VW Recalls and Stops Sales of Some ID.4s With Doors That May Open Without Warning
Volkswagen recently recalled the Atlas for a potentially dangerous airbag sensor issue, but the serious-sounding announcements from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration aren’t over. The automaker issued a stop-sale order and a recall for the ID.4 over an issue with the door handles that could cause the door to open unexpectedly.
The recall involves 16,207 2023 ID.4 electric crossovers that VW identified as potentially having leaky door handles. Water entering the door can cause issues with the printed circuit board assembly in the handle, which can then cause the door to open when the vehicle is subject to high lateral forces. The good news? It happens at low speeds – 9 mph. The bad news? A randomly opening door is the last thing you want when being “subject to high lateral forces.”
If you own an ID.4 and are now a little worried, Volkswagen said you might hear an audible clicking sound in the door, similar to the sound of locking and unlocking, if your vehicle has an issue. So far, VW has identified ten ID.4s with defective door handles built in its Chattanooga, TN, factory. Unfortunately, there’s no set timeline for a fix, as the automaker hasn’t come up with a fix.
Beyond a scary development for some ID.4 owners, the recall is a hurdle for VW’s EV ambitions in the U.S. It recently shifted production of the vehicle to Tennessee to take advantage of EV tax credit rules. The ID.4 is also an important model in VW’s EV catalog and is its top-selling ID model to date, in addition to being built in several locations worldwide.
[Image: VW]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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One thing I've really got to give vw credit for, consistency.
I had a TR3 that the doors would open on hard corning. Chassis flex was problem but also my inability to adjust the door latch contributed as well.